Page 2 of Panther Heart's Secret Passion
"Something like that," he said, glancing at me. "I spend a lot of time in these woods. You get a feel for them."
"Uh-huh," I said, not buying it. "So, what is with the drifter? You seemed pretty comfortable tackling it. You ex-military or something?"
He laughed, a low, warm sound that made that weird warmth in my chest flare again. "Nah, just good reflexes. You ask a lot of questions, Adrienne."
"It is my job," I said, matching his smile. "And you are dodging them like a pro. What are you hiding?"
He stopped, turning to face me, his green eyes locking onto mine. For a second, I thought he might actually tell me something, but then he shook his head. "You are persistent, I will give you that. But trust me, you do not want to dig too deep around here."
"Why not?" I asked, stepping closer, my voice sharp. "What is everyone so scared of? The loggers, you, even that guy David at the diner, they all act like this forest is haunted."
"Maybe it is," he said, his tone half-joking, but his eyes were serious. "Or maybe people just like their secrets. Either way, you are better off sticking to town."
I opened my mouth to argue, but a distant howl cut through the fog, low and eerie. Allen’s head snapped toward it, his body tensing. "We need to move," he said, his voice all business now. "Come on."
I followed, my questions burning, but the howl had my nerves on edge. We did not talk much after that, just keptwalking until the lights of Mistvale appeared through the trees. At my car, I turned to him. "Thanks for the save, but I am not dropping this. I will figure out what is going on here."
He looked at me for a long moment, like he was weighing something. "Be careful, Adrienne," he said finally, his voice soft but heavy. "Some stories are not worth chasing." Then he turned and melted back into the forest, gone before I could say another word.
I drove to the Misty Pines Motel, my mind racing. Allen was hiding something, no question. Those eyes, that speed, the way he knew the forest, it did not add up. And that pull I felt toward him? That was new, and I did not trust it. I parked, grabbed my bag, and headed to my room, the neon sign buzzing in the quiet.
When I reached my door, I stopped. A folded note was tucked under it, the paper stark white against the worn carpet. I picked it up, my stomach twisting as I unfolded it. Written in red ink, the words hit me like a punch: "Stop digging, or you will vanish like the others."
Chapter Two
Allen
I crouched low in the underbrush, my panther senses razor-sharp, picking up the acrid stench of sweat and malice left by the rogue shifter who attacked Adrienne. The forest was dark, the fog thick, but I could feel the trail like a pulse under my skin. My claws flexed against the damp earth, itching to shift, but I stayed human for now. That rogue was trouble, and I needed to know why he went after her. My chest tightened at the thought of Adrienne, her hazel eyes flashing with defiance, her determined stride as she stood her ground in the woods. When I saw her, something sparked, a tingling warmth I had never felt before. It was the soulmate bond, no question, and it scared the hell out of me. I was not supposed to feel this, not for a human, not when I was already on thin ice with Esoterra.
Three years ago, the council exiled me for pushing back against their no-human-contact laws. They said I was reckless, questioning their rules after Morris, a panther shifter, tried to rally us for a war against humans. I called him out, said we could coexist without bloodshed, but the council did not see it thatway. They stripped me of my status and sent me out to prove my loyalty as a tracker. Now, I hunted rogues like Morris to earn my way back into Esoterra, the hidden realm tucked deep in the Pacific Northwest’s ancient forests. But Adrienne complicated everything. That bond was not just a feeling, it was a pull, like gravity, and I did not know how to fight it.
I shook off the thought and followed the rogue’s scent to a clearing. The trail went cold, his tracks vanishing into the fog. I cursed under my breath and headed for the council grove, a place where the oaks glowed faintly with the magic of Esoterra’s veil. The elders were already there when I arrived, their weathered faces lit by the soft light of the trees. Five of them stood in a circle, their eyes hard as they watched me approach.
“Allen Orr,” said Elder Lupe, her voice like gravel. “You were seen with a human last night. Explain yourself.”
I kept my stance relaxed, though my pulse ticked up. “She was in danger. A rogue attacked her. I stepped in.”
Elder Torin, his beard streaked with gray, leaned forward. “This rogue is Morris. He has been stealing veil fragments, weakening the barrier that hides Esoterra. If it falls, humans will find us, and our kind will face chaos. You know what he is capable of.”
My jaw tightened. Morris. The name brought back memories of his fiery speeches, his promises to burn human cities to the ground. I had stood against him, and it cost me everything. “What is he after?” I asked.
“He seeks to expose us,” Lupe said. “The sabotaged logging equipment is his work, drawing human attention to the forest. You must stop him before the veil collapses. This is your chance to prove your loyalty.”
I nodded, my mind already racing. “I will track him. But the human, Adrienne, she is a journalist. She is digging into the sabotage. If Morris is targeting humans, she is in his crosshairs.”
The elders exchanged glances. “Keep her away from the forest,” Torin said. “No human can know about Esoterra. If she learns the truth, you know the consequences.”
I did. Exile would be the least of my worries. “Understood,” I said, and they dismissed me with a wave. I left the grove, the weight of the mission settling on my shoulders. Stop Morris. Protect Adrienne. Keep my secret. It was a tightrope, and I was already slipping.
Back in the forest, I picked up a new scent, faint but familiar. Lavender. I followed it to a thorn bush where a scrap of fabric hung, a gray scarf with Adrienne’s scent all over it. My heart kicked up, that damn bond stirring again. I tucked the scarf into my pocket, trying to ignore the way my pulse quickened. She was out here again, probably chasing another lead. I had to find her before Morris did.
Her trail led me to Mistvale, to the library, a squat brick building with fogged-up windows. I stayed across the street for a moment, watching her through the glass. She was at the counter, talking to a librarian with gray hair and a skeptical frown. That pull in my chest tugged harder, and before I could talk myself out of it, I crossed the street and pushed through the library door. The bell jingled, and Adrienne looked up, her hazel eyes meeting mine. A spark lit between us, sharp and undeniable, and I felt my lips curve into a smile I could not stop.
“Hey, stranger,” I said, leaning against a nearby bookshelf, keeping my tone light. “You following me or something?”
She raised an eyebrow, her lips twitching into a smirk. “You wish, wilderness guide. I am just here for some light reading. What about you? Stalking the stacks?”
I chuckled, stepping closer. “Maybe I just wanted to make sure you stayed out of trouble. You have a knack for finding it.” Her scent hit me again, lavender and something warm, and that bond flared, making my chest tight. I tried to play it cool. “Youknow, you are too beautiful to get lost in a forest. Would be a shame if I had to rescue you again.”
